QUOTE
Bigfoot Believers Coming
By BRIAN PEARSON - Business Editor
When Kim Doughty got the call about Bigfoot believers wanting to use her Sleep Inn & Suites as the host hotel for convention-goers, she didn't know what to think.
Upon further investigation, Ms. Doughty, sales director for the inn at 5555 Donnybrook Ave. in Tyler, was surprised to learn that the group's mindset was more scientific than willing suspension of disbelief.
The fact that they wanted to book 50 rooms didn't hurt, either.
"We're very excited about those guys coming in," Ms. Doughty said. "They're going to be a great group. It's a very interesting group and very scientific. These people are doctors and lawyers."
As it will be for the Sleep Inn & Suites, Bigfoot is as much Big Business as it is beast.
If the still-unproven upright-walking brute ever became reality and had enough savvy to serve as his empire's president and CEO, he undoubtedly would command high pay and be able to put his woodsy habitation in his BMW's rear-view mirror.
Bigfoot business brings in big booty nationwide, from the sales of paraphernalia such as T-shirts and hats to the revenues generated through conventions and tourism. And then there are books, movies, television shows and even a line of women's golf clubs named after Sasquatch.
The ninth-annual Texas Bigfoot Conference next weekend could draw as many as 1,000 Bigfoot enthusiasts to Tyler, where they will fill hotel rooms, eat at restaurants, shop at stores and even hit the golf course, conference organizers said.
The convention will be held all day Saturday at Caldwell Auditorium.
But what if Bigfoot were Big Boss of his own industry?
"I'll say one thing for Bigfoot and the others. They certainly have longevity," Waco-based economist and Lindale native Ray Perryman said of Bigfoot and other legendary beasts such as the Loch Ness Monster. "They are well beyond the mandatory retirement age for most CEOs but certainly would command respect. They might have a little trouble with political correctness at times. They can be very direct and insistent in their manner.
"Seriously (somewhat), as long as they promote conventions, books, movies, memorabilia, tourism, etc., they do have a positive effect on the economy, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with a little entertainment in a troubled world."
Justin Turner, Tyler Convention and Visitors Bureau vice president of tourism and marketing, estimated that those who come here for conventions spend about $70 apiece for the local economy.
The Bigfoot convention is one of the year's biggest for Tyler, with the bureau estimating 400 coming here to stay for the weekend.
They will stay in the Sleep Inn & Suites and other accommodations around the city, totaling about 600 "room nights," which the travel industry defines as one hotel room occupied for one night.
"It means recognition," Turner said of the convention's importance to Tyler. "It gets our name out there, so people will want to see Tyler more.
"Of course, it also means tax dollars. They're all going to eat. They're all going to need a souvenier of some type. And that generates sales tax dollars for us. It really does mean a lot that we have groups in here, no matter what they are."
Daryl Colyer, who is part of convention organizer Texas Bigfoot Research Conservancy, said he expects as many as 1,000 people to attend the event, with some coming just for the day.
The group has held six of its eight conferences in Tyler, with one held in San Antonio and another in the small town of Jefferson.
"It had outgrown Jefferson, really," Colyer said. "The facilities there were lacking. We wanted to stick to the East Texas area because that's where the predominance of sightings are reported."
He estimated that between 80 percent and 85 percent of "credible" Bigfoot sightings are from East Texas, through residents, hunters, motorists, campers and other outdoors types. The group has documented almost 200 of these sightings, including four in Smith County.
While Bigfoot might be big business, Colyer, who lives in Waco, emphasized that he's part of an all-volunteer organization, and any revenues from T-shirts and other items go to fund group operations.
"We all have professions and careers that put the food on the table so to speak," he said.
The Tyler gathering will not be all about Bigfoot, he said.
Convention-goers will begin arriving Thursday and attend a meet-and-greet party at a local member's home.
A bird-watching outing around Lake Tyler is set for Friday. That night, there will be dining at Rudy's barbecue and a mixer back at the hotel.
The conference dominates Saturday, with a local caterer providing the food. A trip to Caldwell Zoo is planned for Sunday. Some might venture over to the East Texas State Fair.
"We'll go shopping," Colyer said. "My wife and I will be going to the gym there near the hotel and just enjoy Tyler.
"The reason we picked Tyler is it's probably my favorite city in Texas. I turned the board onto it. We decided it's the perfect size and just a wonderful city."
Colyer said his Bigfoot encounter came in May 2004 while investigating a reported sighting in Liberty County just east of Houston.
He said he and his wife were venturing down a hunting trail near the Trinity River north of State Highway 105 when a large orangutan-colored beast traveling upright zipped across the path ahead.
"It was large. It was fast," Colyer said. "It blew my mind. I still to this day don't know what else it could have been."
He said what Bigfoot does for the American economy now pales in comparison to what would happen if its existence is verified.
"I think it would be huge," Colyer said. "You're talking about the zoological discovery of the century. You're talking about something that most people think is a legend becomes a reality."
By BRIAN PEARSON - Business Editor
When Kim Doughty got the call about Bigfoot believers wanting to use her Sleep Inn & Suites as the host hotel for convention-goers, she didn't know what to think.
Upon further investigation, Ms. Doughty, sales director for the inn at 5555 Donnybrook Ave. in Tyler, was surprised to learn that the group's mindset was more scientific than willing suspension of disbelief.
The fact that they wanted to book 50 rooms didn't hurt, either.
"We're very excited about those guys coming in," Ms. Doughty said. "They're going to be a great group. It's a very interesting group and very scientific. These people are doctors and lawyers."
As it will be for the Sleep Inn & Suites, Bigfoot is as much Big Business as it is beast.
If the still-unproven upright-walking brute ever became reality and had enough savvy to serve as his empire's president and CEO, he undoubtedly would command high pay and be able to put his woodsy habitation in his BMW's rear-view mirror.
Bigfoot business brings in big booty nationwide, from the sales of paraphernalia such as T-shirts and hats to the revenues generated through conventions and tourism. And then there are books, movies, television shows and even a line of women's golf clubs named after Sasquatch.
The ninth-annual Texas Bigfoot Conference next weekend could draw as many as 1,000 Bigfoot enthusiasts to Tyler, where they will fill hotel rooms, eat at restaurants, shop at stores and even hit the golf course, conference organizers said.
The convention will be held all day Saturday at Caldwell Auditorium.
But what if Bigfoot were Big Boss of his own industry?
"I'll say one thing for Bigfoot and the others. They certainly have longevity," Waco-based economist and Lindale native Ray Perryman said of Bigfoot and other legendary beasts such as the Loch Ness Monster. "They are well beyond the mandatory retirement age for most CEOs but certainly would command respect. They might have a little trouble with political correctness at times. They can be very direct and insistent in their manner.
"Seriously (somewhat), as long as they promote conventions, books, movies, memorabilia, tourism, etc., they do have a positive effect on the economy, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with a little entertainment in a troubled world."
Justin Turner, Tyler Convention and Visitors Bureau vice president of tourism and marketing, estimated that those who come here for conventions spend about $70 apiece for the local economy.
The Bigfoot convention is one of the year's biggest for Tyler, with the bureau estimating 400 coming here to stay for the weekend.
They will stay in the Sleep Inn & Suites and other accommodations around the city, totaling about 600 "room nights," which the travel industry defines as one hotel room occupied for one night.
"It means recognition," Turner said of the convention's importance to Tyler. "It gets our name out there, so people will want to see Tyler more.
"Of course, it also means tax dollars. They're all going to eat. They're all going to need a souvenier of some type. And that generates sales tax dollars for us. It really does mean a lot that we have groups in here, no matter what they are."
Daryl Colyer, who is part of convention organizer Texas Bigfoot Research Conservancy, said he expects as many as 1,000 people to attend the event, with some coming just for the day.
The group has held six of its eight conferences in Tyler, with one held in San Antonio and another in the small town of Jefferson.
"It had outgrown Jefferson, really," Colyer said. "The facilities there were lacking. We wanted to stick to the East Texas area because that's where the predominance of sightings are reported."
He estimated that between 80 percent and 85 percent of "credible" Bigfoot sightings are from East Texas, through residents, hunters, motorists, campers and other outdoors types. The group has documented almost 200 of these sightings, including four in Smith County.
While Bigfoot might be big business, Colyer, who lives in Waco, emphasized that he's part of an all-volunteer organization, and any revenues from T-shirts and other items go to fund group operations.
"We all have professions and careers that put the food on the table so to speak," he said.
The Tyler gathering will not be all about Bigfoot, he said.
Convention-goers will begin arriving Thursday and attend a meet-and-greet party at a local member's home.
A bird-watching outing around Lake Tyler is set for Friday. That night, there will be dining at Rudy's barbecue and a mixer back at the hotel.
The conference dominates Saturday, with a local caterer providing the food. A trip to Caldwell Zoo is planned for Sunday. Some might venture over to the East Texas State Fair.
"We'll go shopping," Colyer said. "My wife and I will be going to the gym there near the hotel and just enjoy Tyler.
"The reason we picked Tyler is it's probably my favorite city in Texas. I turned the board onto it. We decided it's the perfect size and just a wonderful city."
Colyer said his Bigfoot encounter came in May 2004 while investigating a reported sighting in Liberty County just east of Houston.
He said he and his wife were venturing down a hunting trail near the Trinity River north of State Highway 105 when a large orangutan-colored beast traveling upright zipped across the path ahead.
"It was large. It was fast," Colyer said. "It blew my mind. I still to this day don't know what else it could have been."
He said what Bigfoot does for the American economy now pales in comparison to what would happen if its existence is verified.
"I think it would be huge," Colyer said. "You're talking about the zoological discovery of the century. You're talking about something that most people think is a legend becomes a reality."
